V-SAT INSTALLATION, ZWEDRU CITY 📡

On the 10th of November morning, the V-SAT technician (contracted to NATC, Konah Gray) and I traveled to Grand Gedeh County to establish an internet connection via Satellite VSAT, with funding from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) JHPiego. We loaded the equipment on a commercial vehicle. 

The beginning of the trip became very challenging after driving from Monrovia to Ganta, the commercial city in Nimba County where the main road is smoothly paved. Entering Tappita Town at night was the beginning of our nightmare. We drove that night till suddenly around 11.00 AM the car had a breakdown in the middle of a huge mud. Taking off our shoes and other belongings was a must to do. We pushed the car off the muddy road the whole morning because we were afraid of the unknown area we found ourselves but it didn't help. 

We ended up sleeping on such a lonely road where you barely hear or see anyone and neither had a network signal. I was very afraid and also angry at my colleague whom I advised that we make a stop and sleep in Ganta than pick up the next morning due to the time but he refused and told the driver to continue. I have head of ritual sacrifices, human trafficking and other inhuman acts that go on in the rural area. All that was going through my mind and I couldn’t close my eyes until the next day. 

The next morning the driver began checking the vehicle and diagnosed of few parts that needed to be replaced. He waited for along the road to find an empty car or motor bike but unsuccessful. Every single vehicle or motorbike passing by us were occupied and were mainly NGO that don’t take unauthorised passengers. We again started pushing the vehicle until we reached a small town called Zoeley. 

By then it was already night. The town chief who was a very nice man informed us that strangers don't sleep outside in his town. He provided us a sleeping place. We took our equipment and packed them where we slept until the next morning. At least I closed my eyes a bit. We arranged another vehicle that took us to Zwedru, the Capital City of Grand Gedeh County in other to meet up with the timeline.

We arrived on the client's site on Sunday morning, dropped all the equipment and left to book a hotel for the night. It was such a tiring journey but was glad that we reached safe. 

On early Monday morning we started our work immediately by mounting the satellite dish and running the network cable to the server rack. This was my very first time working on a V-SAT project and wouldn’t want to miss any in the future. In establishing internet connection using VSAT, the first and important information to gather for the satellite provider is the Geographical Coordinates of the site location, Option file, Modem iDirect x2 x3 etc., BUC, LND and the dish itself that I have learned. Uploading the Option file into the modem is the most important thing to do when the dish is set up. The file was loaded using software called iSite. Once it loads correctly your IP addresses will be identified by the service provider, ping your network and and direction.

The Option File got loaded and the internet connection was established. 

But afterward, we started to face another challenge again. The TX and RX LED on the modem blink Green when the network is stable but in our case the both LEDs started to blink Orange. My colleague reloaded the Option file over and over but the problem still remained. He quickly arranged with one of his friends in the area for a modem X3 and luckily for us it was available. The problem was fixed right after replacing the modem. We could browse the internet and be sure of creating a Wide and Local Area Network WAN/LAN for all users on the internet, by testing the speed of the bandwidth and carrying alignment on the dish for better throughput rate. 
I was so eager to know how everything works because I found interest in everything when it comes networking because my goal is to become a network engineer and that is what I’m pushing on.
Well, the network was established but that I only came over to take note on it went or learn but I had a task to complete, too. My task was to setup a Local and Wide Area Network, Bandwidth Management, Firewalling and remote login in the MikroTik device brought along with us and that’s one of the networking devices I love working with along with Cisco. All the configurations were done in the router and tested by the client. 

I was also asked to train the IT office how to use this device because many are not familiar with it. I was excited that I could train someone who claimed to be an IT person but then I realized that Information Technology is a wide and broad field. No one is a master of all accept in a specific discipline. To admit, it so nice towork with the guy. He is an expect! He does his work in a very professional way and working with him was understandable. 

I am so grateful to see myself undertaking these challenges today. All thanks and appreciations go to my employer, New Africa Technology Company, Liberia’s one stop IT solution. 
by Daniel W. Collins (Senior IT Technician) New Africa Technology Company (NATC)